I understand the significance of injuries in the NFL and how much they can impact the play of athletes as much as anyone. I figured it was why Peyton Manning didn’t do too well his first couple weeks (he was recovering from knee surgery), and why Reggie Bush wasn’t effective after returning from his knee surgery. Sometime the honorable thing for a player to do is hide the fact that he’s injured and just fight through it. On the other hand, it’s nice for fans and the media to know if a player is banged up because it helps us understand differences in their play and judge them properly. So when Brett Favre makes mention of a shoulder injury while he’s in the midst of a 1 touchdown/6 interception slump the last four games, a lot begins to make sense. But if Favre really is hurt, and he’s afraid to get an MRI for fear of what it may reveal, and he’s really stinking up the joint, then is he helping his team by trotting out there each weekend when Kellen Clemens is standing on the sidelines with a fresh arm? I’m not so sure. Even worse, the shoulder has given impetus to the Brett Favre retirement game once again.
“There’s some throws I personally think I can make, but at times I haven’t,” Favre said. “I attribute some of that to age. I think . . . the physical that every player goes through after the last game will shed some light on some things.”
…
“This very well could be my last game,” Favre said. “I’m aware of that. I’d like to make it a memorable one.”
Great. Here comes another off-season full of questions. Suddenly Brett Favre’s shoulder will become the most important athlete body part since Tom Brady’s foot. Just what we need. ESPN will fawn all over him and his future, and the Jets will be stuck in the same situation as the Packers had been the past few years. I hope Eric Mangini knocks himself out with this one, especially if the team fails to make the playoffs despite starting 8-3.
